Former Altamonte Springs Police Chief to head Canton, Ga., department

Former Altamonte Springs Police Chief Robert C. Merchant Jr. was hired Monday as the new chief for the Canton, Ga., Police Department.

In his new role, Merchant will oversee a department with about 50 employees – including 45 sworn officers – and earn $94,500 annually. He is expected to start his new job in the first week of June.

Canton had been searching for a new police chief since January when Chief Jeff Lance resigned after an independent report said he and his department mishandled the initial investigation of the December 2011 disappearance and murder of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera.

Ryan Brunn, an apartment maintenance man, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to molesting and killing the girl. He killed himself in a Georgia state prison in January.

The report that studied the Canton department's handling of the investigation concluded that officers did not follow several policies after receiving a call about the missing girl. Officers operated under the idea that the girl had simply run away, according to the report.

Canton, a town of 23,000 residents, sits about 40 miles north of Atlanta. By comparison, Altamonte Springs has about 42,000 residents, and its police department employs about 153 people. Michael McCoy succeeded Merchant in Altamonte Springs.